Advanced Internet Technologies (AIT) has sold its Fayetteville, North Carolina headquarters and data center, with most of it set to be converted.

The 93,000 sq ft (8,640 sqm) data center was fully owned and operated by hosting and service provider AIT since 2004, though sold it in 2012 to AIT’s subsidiary Ace Capital LLC after AIT defaulted on a loan in 2010.

The data center has now been sold out of the AIT family for $2.24 million to ROI of Houston and Smooth Ruckus LLC of Sheridan, Wyoming.

The facility is located at 421 Maiden Lane in Cumberland County, on 1.62 acres next to Segra Stadium.

The data center has been sold, according to AIT founder and owner Clarence Briggs, as data center equipment has reduced in size over the decades and AIT now only needs a small portion of the building, which it will lease from the new owners.

World Class ROI and Smooth Ruckus are reportedly exploring the possibility of turning the building into a restaurant, grocery store, event space, and other possible amenities.

“The goal here really is to just kind of establish a foothold in the Fayetteville community and see if we can really bring this building to life,” said Sam McGrath of World Class ROI. The building, particularly the side fronting Hay Street, “is not the prettiest one on the block,” he said, and the investors hope to “pretty it up and make it fit better the surrounding natural brick and bring to life this side of the whole — whole street, really.”

The building was constructed in 1937 when it opened as a Sears department store. It then became the Cumberland County Department of Social Services in the 1980s, before being taken over by AIT in the 90s with the company initially renting the space.

Advanced Internet Technologies was founded in 1995 as a ‘garage enterprise’ by Clarence Briggs, a service-disabled veteran businessman. Over the years, Briggs expanded the infrastructure as a service company and moved into the Fayetteville data center, where the company will remain in a smaller capacity.

Also in North Carolina, Microsoft is busy acquiring land for data centers. According to reports, the company has purchased close to 450 acres for $18.6 million in recent months, and announced in November that it would be investing at least $1 billion into building data centers in North Carolina.

Last month, Google signed a 225MW solar energy deal with Sol Systems to power its North and South Carolina data campuses.